Continuing in our back-to-basics series today, I wanted to touch on a difficult topic. It’s a question that I think a lot of creatives ask themselves. I’d like to say writers have been asking that question for longer than other artists, but that isn’t fair. Even so, I’m a writer, so I’ll just be talking to the writers today.
When we write, are we creating a piece of art or are we creating a product?
The maddening answer is that we’re doing both.
We are artists
Writing is an art, don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise. And you are an artist, no matter what stage of your writing career you’re in. We are creating something new. Something that brings joy to people. We craft sentences with thought put into each word and each turn of phrase. We practice, read, and study to make our story the best, most original creative, and perfect story it can be.
We are marketers
But we are also selling a product. And I’m sorry if I’m the first to tell you this, but you’re probably going to have to do most of the selling of your book yourself. Even if you get picked up by one of the big publishing houses, you are probably going to do most of your marketing and promoting yourself.
If you’re an indie or hybrid writer, like me, you’ll be doing all of it yourself. And that requires you to think of your story like a product. A product that you have to market and sell.
A product that feels like a piece of your soul, surgically cut off from you and placed out in the world for people to abuse, tread upon, and spit on. No big deal.
How do we do both?
So, how do we do this? How do we craft a piece of art and still make money? How do we successfully make a living and not feel like a sell-out?
For me, it comes down to two rules. These two rules are vital, and set in stone.
The first of these rules is that you deserve to make money for your art. All artists deserve to make money for our art. Don’t ever feel bad or guilty about charging for your work.
Look, I give a lot of writing away for free. I post here weekly. I produced two seasons of a podcast that you do not have to pay to listen to. I post micro-fiction and short stories. And every time a new Station 86 book comes out, I post it here on Paper Beats World for free before publishing it.
But I charge for my books. I get paid for my reviews on Hauntedmtl. I leave links at the bottom of every post to my ko-fi account. I do not write for experience organizations, or to gain exposure. I deserve to get paid for my writing. You deserve to get paid for your writing.
The second rule is a little more nuanced. But it’s possibly more important.
Be clear about what activities are making art, and what activities are marketing.
When I’m writing a piece of fiction, I am creating art. I am not wondering if I’ll be able to sell this. I am just writing a story. Maybe it’s bad, maybe it’s good. But it’s the story that I want to tell. I’m having fun while I’m writing it.
In later drafts, I’ll polish it. Make sure the story is satisfying, and that it makes sense. That it’s fun to read. During all that I’m still not worrying about if it’s marketable. I’m not writing a main character that I think would be a cool Halloween costume or look good on a hoodie. I am writing a character that I want to trek through at least 50,000 words with. More if it’s a series. I didn’t write Sennett as a single mom and police officer because I considered her a marketable character. I wrote her that way because that’s the person who appeared in my head.
Later, when I was thinking about how to market Station 86, I sure as hell used the fact that she was a single mom cop. When I’m making a book cover, crafting social media posts about my book, making bookmarks and little video clips to share on Instagram, then I’m marketing a product. The artist part of me has given me a story. Now it’s up to the part of me that is a saleswoman to sell the hell out of it.
Render unto art what is art and marketing what is marketing.
I hope this post helps you today. Trying to balance the different aspects of a writing career is difficult. But always remember that your art is worth it. But no one’s going to see it if you don’t market it.
See you next week. And I hope you have a terrific Thanksgiving if you live in the States.
Paper Beats World is a labor of love. If you love what we do here, please consider supporting us on Ko-fi.
Paper Beats World 